Chapter Twenty-Nine

Oh. My. God.

My eyes are locked on his face and all the breath leaves my body.

Marry him! Marry him?

It's so soon. We've only known each other, what, less than two months? Two incredible months.

His worried eyes are gazing deeply into mine, blue to green, and I know in my heart that the answer is yes. After everything we've been through these past two months, everything we've shared, I can't imagine life without him either.

And I don't have to.

He wants to marry me!

"Baby, you're killing me here." Luke moves to open the little blue box, but I put my hand over his, stopping him. He turns startled eyes back to mine, but I smile reassuringly.

"I just have a couple things to say." I am now giddy and jumping up and down on the inside, my heart in my throat, but I'm amazingly calm on the outside.

"Go ahead," he murmurs and still looks a bit scared and uncertain.

"When I see my future, Luke, I see you. I see you, not your money or what you do for a living, or who you know. I love and respect you for the kind, giving, loving man you are. I want what my parents had; what your parents share. I would be honored to be your wife, give you children, and make a life with you."

As I speak tears run unchecked down my face. Luke's eyes soften and his arms tighten around me.

"Is that a yes?" he whispers and I giggle tearfully.

"Yes."

"Thank God." He brushes his lips across mine softly and I cup his cheek in my hand.

"You had me worried there for a minute," he whispers against my lips.

Oh, I love whispery Luke.

I just love Luke.

"You surprised the hell out of me. I think I forgot to breathe."

"Can I show you this now?" He holds the ring box up and grins down at me.

"By all means."

He sits me up on the small couch and kneels in front of me. Oh my. Seeing my sexy man, disheveled blonde hair, bright blue eyes, in a black suit with the tie loosened kneeling before me, holding a little blue ring box is an image I'll hold in my head forever.

"When I saw this, I knew it was yours. I've had it since the day I bought your pearls."

I gasp, my eyes widening. He's wanted to marry me since the night at the vineyard!

"I didn't think you were ready then." He chuckles as I shake my head.

He opens the box, and cradled in the velvet is diamond perfection. The center stone is princess cut and large, but not crazy big. It's nestled in platinum, with two lines of smaller diamonds on either side that twist around each other to meet at the center stone.

Tears prick my eyes again as he takes it out of the box, places it on my left hand and kisses it there.

"Thank you. It's perfect."

"Like you." He leans up and kisses me, passionately, and I wrap my arms around him, pulling him to me.

He gathers my long skirt in his hands and pushes it up around my thighs, skimming his hands along my thighs and up under the skirt to grip my hips.

"Jesus, I love this new habit you have of not wearing any underwear." I smile against his lips. "We're writing that into the vows. No underwear for you."

I let out a belly laugh, and then gasp as he pulls my hips forward and pushes me back against the soft cushions of the loveseat.

He pulls in a shaky breath as he gazes down at me, exposed to him from the waist down, my black skirt hiked up, in my pearls.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?"

"You make me feel beautiful."

He sits back on his heels and pushes one finger inside me, his eyes locked on my center, watching his hand. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life, baby."

I moan as he continues to torture me with that finger. My breath hitches and I start to pant. Jesus, what he does to me with just one finger.

"Luke, I want you."

"Oh, trust me, you'll have me." He pulls his now wet finger out of me and sucks on it. "You taste good."

He bends down and pushes my thighs wide with his palms, spreading my labia in the process. I grip the cushions of the couch, preparing for the incredible invasion of his mouth, and buck my hips when his mouth covers me, his tongue pushing between my lips.

"Oh my God!" My hands dive into his hair, my hips circling. He grips my ass, tilting my pelvis higher and he continues to make me wild with that talented mouth. He rubs the tip of his nose against my clit and I give into my orgasm, convulsing and shuddering, calling out his name.

He nibbles my inner thighs as my body calms.

"Holy shit, you're good at that," I pant and run my fingers through his shaggy blonde hair.

"Mmmm, I'm glad you approve, baby. Stand up for me." He rises gracefully and takes his suit jacket, tie and shirt off, discarding them on the floor of the deck.

"After what you just did to me, my legs are jelly. I don't think I can stand."

He takes my hands and pulls me into a standing position and wraps my arms around his bare shoulders. "Just hang on to me."

"Happily," I murmur in his neck as his hands glide to my back, unzipping my dress. I lower my right arm so he can pull my dress off and he lets it billow to my feet.

"God, no bra either? It's a good thing I didn't know this earlier, I would have locked us in a bathroom at the club and kept you naked all night." His hands smooth down my back to my bottom.

"You're not naked."

"Oh, did you want me to be naked too?" he asks innocently and I bite his collar bone.

"Get. Naked."

"Demanding little thing, aren't you?"

"Why aren't you naked?"

His hands roam from my bottom, up my back and begin taking the pins out of my hair, letting it fall around me.

"I love your hair," he murmurs and watches it fall, one strand at a time.

"I love your hair too," I push my fingers through it and he smiles.

"I know."

When my hair is loose, he takes my hands in his and kisses them, one knuckle at a time, his eyes on mine. He steps away from me and the cool night air swirls around me, sending a shiver through me, making my nipples pucker.

"I love your body. I love that you're curvy, yet strong and fit." His eyes glide greedily up and down my curves.

"I'm glad." I smile shyly. "You're still not naked."

He raises an eyebrow. "Impatient?"

"I want my fiancé to make love to me," I whisper, and his eyes dilate.

"Say it again," he whispers.

"Make love to me," I whisper back.

"No, the other part."

A small smile spreads across my lips. "My fiancé."

"God, you said yes." He swallows, his eyes round, and then he smiles, a heartbreaking, wide, joyous smile and I fall in love with him all over again.

I nod and glance down at my beautiful ring. I can't wait to get a ring on his finger too.

"Did you think I'd say no?"

"No, I just..." he runs a hand through his hair. "I was just really nervous."

I close the distance between us and kiss his lips softly. "You have no reason to be nervous with me. You've had my heart for quite some time. Now, my gorgeous fiancé, please take me to bed and make love to me."

He sweeps me up in his arms and carries me to his bedroom, kissing me softly the whole way.

"Hey, beautiful, wake up." Luke nibbles my earlobe and I turn sleepily to face him.

"You kept me up really late." I murmur, not opening my eyes. I hear him chuckle.

"I'm sorry. But we have to get up and start getting brunch ready." He kisses my cheek and then my nose.

My eyes flutter open and I palm his cheek in my left hand, and my ring catches the morning light. I smile brightly at him and he grins and kisses me softly.

"Let's stay in bed all day and make love."

"As good as that sounds"—he pulls back and rolls away—"Everyone will be here in about two hours, and we have stuff to do. Coffee's on the night table for you. Go ahead and grab a shower and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"I love you."

He flashes a cocky grin at me. "I love you too. Get up. I'll see you downstairs."

He leaves the room and I sit in the bed for a minute and grin stupidly, gazing at my ring. I finally shake myself and grab my coffee, making a beeline for the shower.

"Okay, what can I do?" I ask as I stroll into the kitchen.

Luke is at the stove, a white kitchen towel slung over his left shoulder. He's wearing a white linen button down shirt with faded blue jeans and bare feet.

Yum.

"Here, cut up some fruit." He pulls melons, strawberries, grapes and peaches out of the fridge and I grab a cutting board and sharp knife and get started with my task.

"So, Isaac mentioned last night that you took the guys out for lunch the other day." I grab a cantaloupe and cut it in half, pull the seeds out and begin cutting it into wedges.

"He did?" Luke frowns slightly and mixes some pancake batter.

"Yeah, that's all he would say, other than he likes you, as long as you mind your manners. I told him I prefer it when you don't." I smirk and begin pulling stems off the strawberries.

"I wanted to ask them all if it was okay if I asked you to marry me."

I twirl at his words, my mouth gaping open. He shrugs and pours the batter on a griddle on the stove top.

"Why?"

"Because they're your family. They love you and protect you and it's tradition." He takes a sip of coffee and eyes me speculatively.

Wow.

"What did they say?"

"I proposed, didn't I?"

"What if they'd said no?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "I would have asked anyway."

He flips the pancakes and I wander over to him with a strawberry, holding it up to this lips.

"Here." He takes a bite and I slip the rest of it in my mouth. "Mmm, that's good."

I lick my thumb and he takes my wrist in his hand and licks my forefinger. "I love watching you eat."

Desire flashes, fast and hot, through me.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I wander back to the fruit and pluck a grape from the stem. When I turn around, Luke has taken the pancakes off the griddle and turned it off.

I do like the way he thinks.

I rub the grape across my lips, then pop it in my mouth and chew slowly.

"Want some?" I hold a grape out for him. He slowly closes the space between us, and takes the grape out of my fingers with his lips.

"I like this game," he whispers and I grin. He lifts me up onto the counter so my feet are dangling, steps between my legs, and puts another strawberry against my lips. I grip it in my teeth, and then lean down so he can take a bite from my lips and kiss him at the same time.

He tastes of strawberries and Luke and I moan against his mouth.

"God, you're so sexy."

I pull my green shirt over my head and throw it on the floor, then my bra follows it. Grabbing another strawberry, I look in his eyes, bite my lip, and swirl the red fruit around my nipples, making them pucker. Luke's quick intake of breath and tightening of his fingers on my ass tell me he likes the sight before him.

I pull the strawberry up my chest, against my skin, over my chin and push it into my mouth, enjoying the sweet juiciness of the fruit.

He doesn't move, he just watches me, his hands gripping my jean-clad bottom, me naked from the waist up, and I set about seducing my sexy fiancé.

I push a chunk of cantaloupe in Luke's mouth, and lean down and kiss him, sucking the juice into my own mouth.

"You're making me crazy," he whispers against my mouth.

"That's the point," I whisper back.

He suddenly lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him as he twirls and rushes over to the dining table. He sets me down on it and pulls my jeans over my hips as I raise them and down my legs, taking my underwear with them.

He pulls his shirt over his head, not bothering with the buttons and pushes his soft blue jeans down around his thighs.

"I can't get enough of you." He covers me with his torso, his hands in my hair and face buried in my neck, kissing and suckling my sensitive skin.

"I don't want you to get enough of me." I wrap my legs around his hips and he slides inside me, all the way to root of his cock and I clench around him.

He grips my right hand in his left one and pulls it above my head and begins to move, in and out of me, at a steady pace.

"It makes me so hard to watch you eat. Your sweet mouth is the sexiest aphrodisiac I've ever seen." His lips find mine and I'm lost in his words, in his body moving so gracefully and surely above mine.

I run my hand down his back to his tight ass and hold on tight as he increases the pace.

"Oh, God," I moan.

"Look at me," he growls and my eyes meet his. "I want to watch you come."

Fuck.

And that's all it takes to send me over the edge. He slams into me twice, then stills and bites his lip as he erupts inside me.

"God, Nat, you're going to kill me." He kisses me gently, then pulls out of me, helping me up off the hard table.

"I can't help it that you have a food fetish." I slap his naked ass and collect my clothes on the way to the bathroom to clean up and get dressed.

When I join him in the kitchen, he's fully dressed and has more pancakes cooking on the griddle.

I kiss his cheek and resume cutting up the fruit.

"I have to go to L.A. next week." Luke flips his pancakes and turns to me.

"Why?" I finish stemming the strawberries and move on to the peaches.

"I have a meeting that I need to be there for in person. I should only be gone one night."

"Oh, okay." I frown. This will be the first night we've spent apart since our magical night at the vineyard.

"Come with me," he suggests.

"I can't. I'm still catching up with clients from our vacation. I'm booked solid next week." I toss a pit in the garbage and grab another peach.

"It's just one night." He murmurs and I realize he's standing behind me.

I'm suddenly feeling vulnerable, and I don't know why. It's just one night! Surely I can get through one night without him.

I turn and smile brightly, not wanting him to see my insecurity. "It'll be fine. What day are you leaving?"

"Early morning Wednesday. I'll be home Thursday around noon."

"That's a long meeting." I raise my eyebrows.

"I'm going to pack a few meetings in there, since I'll be there anyway. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course. I love you, but I think I can survive without you for one night. Jules and I'll have a girl's night."

"Okay." He kisses my nose and returns to his pancakes and slips some bacon into the oven.

"What are we going to do about all the flowers outside?" I ask, changing the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to eat out on the deck?"

"No, we'll eat in here. We can bring them in if you like."

I walk over to the glass door and gaze out at my beautiful flowers, trying to shake my melancholy mood now that I know Luke will be leaving overnight next week.

"They're beautiful. I don't know where we'll put them all."

"Leave them for now, and we'll figure it out later."

"Okay." I set the large dining room table for six, pour orange juice and coffee into carafes and set them on the table as the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it." Luke flashes me a smile and I relax a bit, excited to see his parents and give them their gifts.

"Hello, darling." Lucy kisses Luke's cheek and comes into the great room. Neil and Mark follow with Samantha bringing up the rear.

They've obviously spent a lot of time in Luke's home. They're comfortable moving around the space, and I stand back for a moment, enjoying the view of Luke with his family.

My family now.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my beautiful fiancée, Natalie."

I laugh as Luke joins me and kisses my hand.

"Yes," I say dryly, "We've met."

"Oh, Natalie, I'm so excited that you're going to be a part of our family." Lucy hugs me tight and I blink back the sudden tears that threaten.

"Thank you."

"And here I thought you'd choose the right brother." Mark shakes his head ruefully and pretends to pout.

"I did." I laugh at his stricken face and give him a quick hug. "Don't pout. We'll find you a good girl."

Mark laughs and heads for the kitchen to steal a piece of bacon. "No need. I'm good."

"Stay away from that bacon!" Luke bellows.

Neil hugs me and cups my face in his hands, his kind eyes happy. "Are you happy, sweet girl?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good."

Luke's parents are both so generous and welcoming. Samantha, however, rolls her eyes and pours herself a cup of coffee.

"So," her eyes gleam with malice and she glances at Luke, then back at me and I brace myself for what's about to come out of her snarky mouth.

"Who was that delicious looking man you were with the other day in the coffee shop?"